Jen de Montalkjdemontalk@nzdoctor.co.nzFriday 27 January 2012, 9:17AM
Radius Care workers have voted to strike after six months of
negotiations failed to end a pay dispute.
NZNO and Service and Food Worker Union members held stop-work
meetings around the country yesterday to decide whether to take
industrial action over a 1.72 per cent pay rise offered by Radius
Care.
Service and Food Worker Union sector leader Alistair Duncan says
the provider has not passed on funding from DHBs and low wages
undervalue the work done by carers.
Strong worker support for strike action
After six months of negotiations going nowhere, there has been
overwhelming support for strike action, Mr Duncan says.
"We haven't tallied all the votes yet but they are already well in
excess of 80 per cent."
Government at fault - Radius Care
Radius Care chief executive Brien Cree says all funding has been
passed on to workers and it is the Government that
"undervalues" aged care (>>nzdoctor.co.nz, News, 25
January).
Around 20 facilities affected
The nature of the strike action will be announced over the next
few days.
Around 20 facilities and 1400 residents will be affected by the
action but Mr Cree says there are enough non-union staff to ensure
they are cared for properly.